Last Call
by LilyGhost
Summary: Stephanie decides to take a break from her day-to-day life and gives Ranger an opportunity to come with her. When he misses her call, Ranger has to think fast in order to reach her. Told from Ranger's POV.


**This story is the result of listening to Oleta Adams' song 'Get Here' one too many times. Anything familiar belongs to Janet. All mistakes are mine.**

I can still hear _every _word of the message Stephanie left me. Each one was part of the constant loop now playing in my mind.

_"I'm taking a breather from Trenton, my jobs, and you if you decide not to come after me. I mean it this time, Ranger. Joe hasn't been an issue for months and you still haven't 'moved in' like you've always threatened. So this is it. Meet me at the airport by two if you think what we have is worth showing up for, because when I come back, I'm not putting my life on hold anymore."_

That was all she had left me with. A deadline. Normally, I'd be long gone - probably halfway to wherever the hell she is by now - but I'd been on a job when she called, and I didn't get the message until the asshole's gun hand had been broken in at least two places. Hal had mine and Steph's latest obstacle on the way to the ER before I was able to scroll through my missed calls.

The smile that had begun when I saw that Steph had called, turned into a vicious curse as I listened to what she had to say. It was already ten till two and I still had to find out what airport she's in and where she's headed.

I immediately called Tank and swore again when he waited two full rings to pick up.

"Why wasn't I notified that Steph was heading to an airport?" I asked, as soon as the line was opened.

There was a pause, I'm assuming so Tank could check with the control room.

"The trackers on her car and shoulder bag both place her at her apartment."

I scraped a hand along my jaw in frustration. Steph _would _have left her bag and taken a cab if she was serious about this.

"You sure she's gone?" I heard Tank ask.

"I'm sure. I need to know where she's going, and if there are any stopovers on the way. She would have had to charge her ticket so check with Vince and see if he can get a list of her recent purchases. Also reach Theo and make sure his jet is on standby. I may need to call in a favor if I can't make it to her before the plane takes off."

"Is someone after her?" Tank asked.

Only me.

"No," I told him.

"And this is important?"

"Nothing is more so. What do you have?"

"She's leaving out of Newark," Tank told me. "Final destination is Hawaii."

I'd bet anything that Steph will be staying as close as she could to the place we shared, to either relive the good time we had there or to say goodbye.

_Fuck._

"I'm still thirty minutes out. I'll never make it in time. Does her flight make a stop?"

"In Houston."

A little of the tension that had begun building in my shoulders eased.

"That will work. Theo?" I asked Tank.

"He said his wings are yours whenever you need them, but he wants to speak to you first."

"Little fucker," I said, under my breath. "How much did you tell him?"

"Only that you're hunting down a woman. He seemed _real _interested after hearing that."

"You know if I had time, I'd beat the shit out of you for telling him anything."

"Good thing you don't have any to spare. Tell Steph I said hi. Oh, and Ella wanted me to tell you that there's an overnight bag in the back of your vehicle. That woman puts boy scouts and seasoned survivalists to shame."

"How many people know Steph's gone?" I asked, closing my eyes briefly.

"Just the ones who care about her," Tank said. "Fix this."

"I intend to," I told Tank, and disconnected to call Theo.

He answered immediately and I braced myself for what I knew was coming.

"I never thought I'd see the day when the _Almighty Manoso _is smitten with a woman," Theo said to me. "And a woman smart enough to run in the opposite direction of you no less."

"Fuck you, Theo," I told him, good-naturedly. "You can't not be a dick about this and just let it go without gloating?"

"No ... I can't. You know me better than that."

"I wake up every morning regretting that I do," I told him.

If Brown and Santos were gay, and it was anatomically possible for them to have an annoying lovechild, it'd be Theo.

"That's nice," Theo said, being a bigger asshole by purposely hearing only what he wanted to, "to know that someone thinks about you every single day."

"I could solve that problem easily by killing you," I reminded him.

"True, but then you'd have to locate another man with a cushy jet, twenty minutes from where you live, who will also put up with threats to his person - and his life - _every _time the two of you speak."

Now I know why Steph sighs all the time. Turns out, there _is _a time and place where one is needed.

"Let's get down to business, _Theodore_. What is this going to cost me?" I asked him.

If Theo wasn't primarily a good guy who _normally _does a job without asking questions, I'd have a new guy lined up within the hour with a larger jet, a much smaller mouth, and is less of a pain in the ass.

"I want to meet her?" Theo told me, and I could feel his anticipation through the phone.

"You want to meet Stephanie?"

"Is this Stephanie the woman you're chasing across the country?"

"She's the one," I told him, remembering how Steph's curls felt along my stomach and looked falling across my pillow afterwards the last time I'd been with her.

"Thought so," Theo was saying. "So you can use whatever I have that you need ... as long as I have a promise from you that I get to be introduced to this _magical creature_."

I really need to think about securing Rangeman its own plane so I can spare myself this kind of shit.

"Deal," I said, trying to keep my mind on my objective.

Nothing is as important as reaching Stephanie, even drinks - and God help us ... _dinner _- with Theo.

"The jet's parked in its usual location. You can't miss it." Theo laughed at his own joke. "It's also fueled up and the inspection done as of two minutes ago. Give Stephanie a kiss for me until I'm lucky enough to give her one myself."

I counted to twenty and tried to put aside my newest fear. My gut is _never _wrong, and right now the churning in it is telling me that Stephanie and Theo will be fast friends, which will be good for them but hell on me.

I put my truck in gear and headed to the private airstrip not quite halfway between Trenton and Newark. I called Tank again as I got my bag out of the backseat.

"I'm taking off now," I told Tank. "My truck needs to be picked up, and transportation needs to be arranged for when we reach Honolulu."

"I'm on it."

"And see if the place I rented the last time we were there is available again."

"Isn't that for married couples?"

"When has there been a rule we couldn't - or wouldn't - break?"

"Got it. Same instructions as before?" Tank asked me.

"Yes. No calls unless it involves Julie, our families, or is an emergency," I told him.

"Understood."

"Steph and I have a pit stop to make when we're back in Jersey ..."

"Theo?"

"Yes, so you have a slight head start in saving your ass, and that's all you're getting," I said, and hung up.

I'm sure Theo will be all ears when he finds out that Tank had once been engaged to someone like Lula. And I have a feeling Steph will have a few insights to add to that particular conversation.

I reached Houston before Stephanie, and was standing by her gate when she stepped through it. I could see that Steph's eyes were red-rimmed and she looked ... _absent_, not even scanning the crowd to see if someone had followed her here.

"Babe," I said quietly, when she was close enough to hear me.

Stephanie's head snapped up, her legs stopped moving, and she stared at me like she'd never seen me before.

"_Ranger? _What are you doing here?"

"You told me to get to the airport," I said to her, "but you weren't specific about which one. So I chose Houston."

Her eyes were no longer looking sad, they narrowed warningly instead. A murderous glare is much more attractive on Stephanie than any trace of hurt or sadness.

"Steph ... " I said, and then stopped, grabbing her wrist and pulling her a few feet to a quieter place so we could talk. "I wouldn't have let you leave your apartment - or the state - if I would have been able to stop you."

"I kept my ass planted in that seat until they threatened to leave without me, Ranger, waiting for you," Steph told me.

I couldn't stomach the image she was describing, so I pulled her body into my arms and wrapped them tight around her, letting us both get used to the feeling of not being alone anymore.

"I'm sorry, Babe. If I would have been able to check my phone twenty minutes sooner, I could have made it. When I realized I wouldn't be able to reach you in time, I had to get a little creative."

"How _did _you get here so fast?" She asked, resting her forehead against my sternum.

"Private jet."

She lifted her head to look at me. "You used a private jet to fly you to me?"

"Yes," I told her, and brushed her lips lightly with my own. "I was in the service for years, Babe. When someone gives me an order ... I _listen_."

I could feel her mouth curve up in a smile. "Bullshit."

"Seriously, Steph. I would have used any mode of transportation, whatever contacts I have, and any amount of money, to get to you as quickly as I could. And now that I have ... how would you like to fly to Hawaii in style?"

"In your jet? Wait, do you own it?"

"No. But I know a guy."

"You always do," she said.

Stephanie was grinning at me, her eyes now back to bright bright blue, so I placed the blame solely on her shoulders for the spectacle I was about to make. I slowly lowered my head and slanted my mouth over her lips, kissing her until she was thinking of something other than teasing me.

"Umm ..." she said, when I let her breathe again. "Is your 'guy' going to mind us taking his plane to Hawaii? That seems like something we really should ask ahead of time."

"I'll bring him back a souvenir," I told Stephanie.

"If you're sure," she said.

"I'm sure, Babe. Theo - the jet's owner - requested a meet-and-greet with you, so we'll take it back to him personally. _If _you're okay with meeting him."

"It's fine. Is he anything like the guys back at Rangeman?"

"No, Babe. He's much, _much _worse. Think of Santos running on no sleep, too much caffeine, and add in a few shots of tequila, and you'll have Theodore Padella."

She smiled. "I love him already."

"And me?" I asked, not looking away from her face.

"Ranger ... _you _I've never _stopped _loving. I just wanted your feelings to change a little. What we have is good and all, but I've always hoped it would get even better."

"My feelings have changed, Steph. Instead of thinking that you could be impossible to live with, I now think you're impossible to live without. And I don't want to try. I would have prevented your airport vigil if I hadn't been in the middle of an apprehending someone when you called me."

"I had sucky timing, didn't I?"

"On the contrary, Babe. Your timing is perfect. We're together, Tank's been put in charge until we come back, and we have a jet and Theo's men at our disposal. This is going to be the vacation we should have had the first time around."

"I don't know," Steph said to me, "there were a few moments there that are going to be really hard to top."

"Since Morelli won't be knocking on our door, Steph, we'll have more than enough time to top them all ... _twice_."


End file.
